ISLE OF WIGHT — One Carrollton couple has hit some road blocks on the way to better Internet access, but they aren't ready to give up.

Jim and Connie Henderson have been crusading for wider access to broadband Internet in Isle of Wight County since last fall, when the issue of a lack of connectivity came up at a Carrollton Civic League meeting.

The Hendersons live at the end of a mile-long private road along with around a dozen other families, and have been told that it's not cost effective for Internet providers to run broadband service out to their house. It's a problem for Jim Henderson, who often telecommutes from home and had to buy a wireless USB antenna from Verizon to download files for work.

Connie Henderson, a former branch manager of Blackwater Regional Library in Franklin, said she saw constant demand for the computers and Internet services at the library when she was there. Librarians around Isle of Wight tell similar stories of people clamoring for computers and sitting in the parking lot after hours to use library Wi-Fi.

The Hendersons tried working through civic organizations, the county and others this spring to spread the word and get people to highlight areas of the county where there was no access or low speeds. However, they've met with some barriers that Connie Henderson says they are trying to move past.

The first major problem: people who don't know what broadband is.

"They don't really understand how it's going to impact them, in the future and now," Connie said. She argues that a high-speed Internet connection is vital to keeping county residents economically and educationally competitive, something that will make or break the county down the road.

"You can't apply for a job and can't take your online course without going to the local library," she said. "This is going to be like having electricity was."

Connie said the county has given the effort its blessing but hasn't been the most proactive partner.

"The county throws up its hands and says they don't have any money … but there are ways to do this without spending a lot of money," Connie said. She points to areas like Franklin County and nearby Surry County, which have recently worked toward getting their counties to 100 percent broadband connectivity.

Surry is setting up a 350-foot tower that would broadcast high-speed wireless Internet throughout that county – an option much cheaper than laying hundreds or thousands of feet of wire.

She said the business community hasn't really mobilized behind their efforts either, which surprised Connie because of how closely linked businesses are to the Internet – and how people moving to the county for work will likely be shocked if they wind up somewhere with no access.

The Hendersons had an especially hard time connecting with people in rural areas and the elderly – the same people who likely have the least access. Connie said they hear people complain about their abysmal Internet speeds and high prices, but those people rarely get involved. "Inertia is a big problem," she said.

One of the big stumbling blocks has been a lack of respondents to a survey set up by a group called Accelerate Virginia, which includes an online speed test to register your connectivity and a phone number to call to let them know if an area has no connectivity at all.

The couple originally hoped to get a few hundred responses to try to make a case to Internet providers that there's a market for expanded access. But their last tally in May showed around 130 responses.

As frustrating as the process has been, Connie says she and her husband plan to regroup and come up with new strategies to reach those people, gather more data and develop plans to get access for more residents.

Murphy can be reached by phone at 757-247-4760.

Broadband survey

Anyone interested in taking the survey can access the speed test at http://www.acceleratevirginia.org/speedtest.

Those without an Internet connection can register their dead zone by phone by contacting Jean Plymale with Accelerate Virginia at 540-231-2270.